1997 in Turkey

Events in the year 1997 in Turkey.

Parliament

 * 20th Parliament of Turkey

Incumbents

 * President – Süleyman Demirel
 * Prime Minister –
 * Necmettin Erbakan (up to 30 June)
 * Mesut Yılmaz (from 30 June)


 * Leader of the opposition –
 * Mesut Yılmaz (up to 30 June)
 * Necmettin Erbakan (from 30 June)

Ruling party and the main opposition

 * Ruling party
 * Welfare Party (RP) with coalition partner True Path Party (DYP)
 * Motherland Party (ANAP) with coalition partners Democratic Left Party (DSP) and Democrat Turkey Party (DTP)


 * Main opposition
 * Motherland Party (ANAP) (up to 30 June)
 * Welfare Party (RP) (from 30 June)

Cabinet

 * 54th government of Turkey (up to 30 June)
 * 55th government of Turkey (from 30 June)

Events

 * 8 January – Democrat Turkey Party was founded by Hüsamettin Cindoruk.
 * 11 January – Prime minister Necmettin Erbakan invited religious order leaders to his Office . This invitation caused political unrest
 * 24 January – Sabotage to Kirkuk–Ceyhan Oil Pipeline
 * 2 February – Beginning of a civil disobedience action 1 minute darkness for a continuous light by turning off the lights every night for 1 minute
 * 28 February – In a meeting of National Security Council the military members of the council asked for a secular administration (This event later on was ironically called post modern coup)
 * 23 April – On children’s day, Tansu Çiller, the vice prime minister, announced that the compulsory education was raised from 5 years to 8 years
 * 15 May – Turkey enters northern Iraq with the stated aim of "supporting KDP actions against the PKK."
 * 16 May – Yaşar Kemal won Peace Prize of the German Book Trade
 * 22 May – Four male and six female Turkish weightlifters won the gold medal in 1997 European Weightlifting Championships
 * 25 May – Galatasaray won the championship of the Turkish football league
 * 21 June – Upon Necmettin Erbakan’s resignation, the president appointed Mesut Yılmaz to form the new government.
 * 25 October – Bus accident in Konya Province 49 deaths
 * 14 December – At the Luxembourg summit, the European Union decided to continue negotiations with Turkey

Deaths

 * 4 April – Alparslan Türkeş (born 1917), politician
 * 4 May – Esin Engin (born 1945), musician
 * 20 June – Cahit Külebi (born 1917), poet
 * 2 July – Ayhan Songar (born 1926), academic and psychiatrist
 * 26 August – Füreya Koral (born 1910), ceramist
 * 26 December – Cahit Arf (born 1910), mathematician